I wish you were here
by gunmagerikku
Summary: Rikku thinks about the two years she has spent before being a sphere hunter. She can't seem to stop thinking about him, and she finds herself confused with thousands of different feelings about him. [TIDUS][RIKKU][TIKKU]! {Chapter 7 is up} RR Please!
1. My Wish

Okay… this is my first Tikku story, so I need opinions. I've never done this kind of thing, so forgive me if it's bad!

[Disclaimer] I do not own FFX FFX-2 and did not participate in their production. Copyright to Squaresoft.

My Wish[Tikku]

_Two years. Everything can change over two years. I know I have, but I always wondered what you though. If you saw me now, would you think I looked better? Would you love me? Where my feelings ever real for you? You're gone, so it doesn't matter. But I feel that you're still here._

I sat in my bed on Besaid thinking about my life. It's been a big change for me, from being a normal Al Bhed girl, to a guardian, to a sphere hunter. I look down at myself and see how I've changed from a little teen to an adult. I was so perky and cute when I was fifteen. Those were the guardian days. I always think about them. I had friends, family, and we all had fun on that journey. Until we had to face Sin. That was the worst day of my entire life. You had to leave, you had to go. But why? Why did you have to care so much about Yuna? Why did you have to sacrifice yourself for her? If it was me, would you have done the same? I shed a tear each time I think of you. I wonder if you can see me, or if you can hear me? If you can, _I love you_.

[Paine's thoughts]

It was a sunny day on Besaid beach, the perfect day to suntan. "Ah, the sun feels great on my skin" I heard Yuna say as I climbed the rocky stairs down to the beach. "Yuna, don't stay in the sun too long". Yuna turned around and her eyes shifted, looking for who called her. She spotted Lulu, her former guardian and soon-to-be mom. She smiled and jumped into the emerald green water. "Lu, come on in" Yuna said. Lulu merely pulled out a chair in the shade and sat there watching Yuna. "Hello Lulu" I said. "Paine, how nice to see you" Lulu replied. I sat beside her and asked how she was. She said she was ok and the baby was kicking more often. I wanted to ask Lulu something. Ever since I joined the Gullwings, I wanted to know. It's been bugging me for the longest time now. "Lulu, was there anyone _special_ on your journey to defeat sin?" I asked. I didn't know how hard reliving this would be for Lulu. She turned to me and I saw a tear stream down her cheek. "Yes".

I sat there listening to Lulu relive every moment of those days. I began to understand who _he _was. "So Yuna has been looking for this guy the whole time?" Lulu asked a little shocked. "Well that's what I think. Rikku never calls him by his name, and neither does Yuna" I said. But I didn't quite get why they never told me his name, or who he was. "So were is he?" I asked. Lulu didn't answer. I waited for her reply, but it didn't come. I had said something I shouldn't have. I should have kept it to myself. She lowered her head and placed her arms in the air. She began to move them around. I didn't understand what she was doing until a little holographic door came before me. I knew that symbol well. "The Farplane".

[Rikku's thoughts]

I pushed the door to my room open and looked at the horizon. Yunie was in the water having fun and I saw Paine and Lulu at the beach. I decided I would go talk with them. They'd see my face, and the tears I cried. I'll just have to plaster a smile on my face. None of my smiles are real anymore. I haven't smiled for a long time, or even felt the joy of laughter. Maybe if you come back I'll be happy. But you're gone…

I climbed down the rocky stairs and felt the warm sand on my feet. It felt so nice. "Rikku" I heard Paine call me over. Let's plaster a smile. I ran over and saw Lulu there too. But she was so sad! "What happened?" I yelled full of concern. Paine looked at me. She had a guilty sort of look, and I raised an eyebrow. "I asked about…" she began. About what? Tell me! "About" Pained froze. "Tell me!" I yelled. Lulu sprang up and looked at me. She had never heard me yell before, it just wasn't me. "Rikku are you alright?" Lulu asked me. I could see she cried, but she wiped of all traces of sadness and filled them with traces of concern. I told her I was fine and that Paine didn't have to tell me. I though she might want to tell me later, she would tell me eventually. I just really wanted to know.

I told them I'd go to my little hill to see the view. Since I was 15 I'd go to the top of the waterfalls and sit on a big hill. I could see everything from there. And whenever I went there, I was so happy. It might do me some good to go there. I might even smile again. I can't seem to remember how I found that hill, but all I know is that it's the highest point in Besaid, and you have to climb the waterfalls to get it. I ran away from Lulu and Paine and ran all the way to my ledge. It's nothing special, just a high up ledge that falls into water. It's the fastest way for me to get to the waterfalls. I dove into the cool crisp water and began to think of the good old days. I lay on my back and looked up at the clear sky above. The rocks around me formed many columns and pillars. Somehow I managed to fall asleep.

_"Rikku, hey Rikku!" I heard someone say. I shook my head and woke up. I was sleeping beneath the waterfalls again! I looked up and saw Auron standing there impatiently. "Hurry, or we'll miss it" he told me in his own way. We never talked much, but when we did, he always made me laugh. Auron wasn't that kind of guy, or at least didn't seem like it. "So what's today again?" I asked in my girly way. He laughed and shook his head. "Yuna is calling up all her Aeons, we have to be there to hold them calm" he told me. I knew that! I really did…_

_He brought me down the slopes and into the village. I saw everyone was already there. "Rikku, you're late, ya?" Wakka yelled. "Sorry" I said. "Don't worry, I haven't started yet" Yuna said. She stepped off the circular stage on which she would summon the Aeons. I saw everyone's head turn at the same time and everyone was looking at me. "Sorry, sorry!" I said. I was a little embarrassed, but Tidus broke the awkward silence. "She was probably praying to Yevon" he said. "Ya, the day, ya?" Wakka yelled. Wakka knows better than anyone that we Al Bhed don't like Yevon. He says that Machina are evil and brought Sin. Machina did not make Sin come, he just came. Well, I don't know why but it's not the Machina!_

_ "Well, I'm ready. Let me explain what will happen. Today is the Summoners Cry. It's the day summoners all over Spira call their Aeons forth and pray to them. If I summon all my Aeons at the same time, they will lose control, so each one of you will have an Aeon to take care of" Yuna told us all. I hoped I would get Shiva, she was always my favorite. "Alright, Wakka, you get Ifrit. Lulu, you have Valfor. Auron, you have Ixon. Rikku and Tidus, is it ok if you guys share Shiva?" "Course, right Rik?" Tidus grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into a hug. "Yup" I said in my normal perky voice. I was trying to hold back the excitement I had inside. I wanted to MELT! Yuna summoned each Aeon one by one and sent them to each of us. At first, the Aeons were a little hesitant, but they went anyways. _

_"Let's have some fun" I heard Tidus say. "Sure" He picked me up and threw me onto Shiva's back. She just stood there and waited. He hoped on in back of me and whispered into my ear something. I couldn't really hear him, but I didn't care, I was so happy. Shiva threw her cloak into the air and used them as wings, I guess. Or she could jump and stay in the air for a really long time. It was great to be up so high and see everyone look like little ants. "Hehe, this is great!" I yelled with excitement. "Yea! Glad you decided to come" he said. I blushed a little. "Anytime" I said. He just smiled. It made me fell so good inside. His smiles would always make me feel so happy. I don't know why, they just did. Even if I was sad, or mad, or anything, he just had to talk and I'd be happy. _

_Shiva landed right above the waterfalls and let us down on a little hill. I could see the best view of all of Besaid from there. "How cute" Tidus said, out of nowhere. "Romantic" I added. He laughed and so did I. My mind drifted away from Tidus and I began thinking about our fight with Sin. "So we leave soon" it was like he was reading my mind. "Yea" "I'm pretty scared. But you know, Rikku, I feel assured that the all powerful Machina Girl is with us" I turned red, and he knew it. He gave me a little smile. "I'm happy you'll be with us". What did I just say?! That was so stupid of me! I put my hands over my mouth and turned away. "Really?" he asked. He sounded like a little boy learning who Santa Claus was. "Rikku?" I couldn't answer. _

_I was in total shock mode. I couldn't look at him. I felt his hand on my shoulder. He turned my face towards him. I was looking at his bright blue eyes. They where so beautiful, I could stare for hours on end at those eyes. "Do you mean what you said?" he asked again. I might as well tell him. "Yes. I really do" I said. I could feel my voice quiver. But he didn't laugh or anything. He hugged me. "You're so great Rikku" he told me._

My eyes burst open. It was just a dream! That was my hill, and my dream guy! My fantasy! He had been on my mind for so long, and that hug was all I ever wanted. I wanted him to feel the love I felt. I wanted him to know. But no, he loves Yuna. And he's gone. He's gone because of Yuna. And I shouldn't care about him. I don't see why I have to love him. I don't see why I always think about him. I want him out of my head! "This is it! I can't take it anymore! Leave me alone! You're gone, and I'm not going to think about you anymore! You're gone, you left! And I don't want you! Just get out of my head!" I yelled that out so loud, I wouldn't be surprised if Yuna could hear me. "That's enough, I don't care about you anymore!"

[Author's note]

Eheheh, Chapter one I done… I hope you guys like it. I'm starting Chapter Two, I hope to get it up soon.


	2. Mysteries on Besaid

Mysteries on BesaidTikku  
  
[Author's note] Chapter two is here! :D I'm really sorry this took so long to write and post up, and I think I rushed the story a little too much, but it's not that bad. R AND R PLEASE!!!

Rikku was still in the water, floating on her back like she had no cares in the world. But she did, and she knew it. "I don't want to think about that anymore" she said to herself. [Rikku's thoughts] I jumped out of the water and shook myself dry. It had been a confusing day for me, and I just wanted to end it. I told myself over and over I was just tired, and I should rest. Maybe I'd feel better in the morning. Yeah, I'll keep telling myself that, I'll end up believing it.

As I dried myself off, I noticed something shining in the tall grass beside me. Being the curious teen I am, I ran over to get a closer look. It was a really weird cylindrical object that looked rusty and old. It seemed to be burgundy with yellow features, but the rust had taken its toll on the colours. I examined it closer and noticed some engraftments in some language I've never seen before. But this thing, it looked familiar. I placed it carefully in my pocket, I'll go see Wakka, he'll know for sure! I ran quickly down the hill and to the village. As I approached the main gates, I saw another shiny object, but this one was buried under leaves and stones. I picked it up and it was the same rust colour as the previous thing I found. "What is this stuff? Where have I seen it before?" My mind was racing, I needed to know. I jolted up and ran past the gates. I think Lulu said hi to me, but I couldn't tell. Sure enough, there was Wakka, standing alone in the middle of the village.  
  
"Wakka! Wakka hey!" I yelled out as I flailed my arms insanely. He turned to me and waved. I tried to stop, but I caught to much speed that his body ended up stopping me. "He he, hey" I said, a little confused. "Silly girl, ya? Maybe praying to Yevon isn't such a bad idea!" he began to laugh. Typical of him, laughing at his own lame joke. "What is it little Rikku? Wakka can help, ya?" I began to laugh at him. I always found it funny the way he uses "ya" in every single sentence. "I found these parts, ya?" I said with a squeal of delight. I tried to pronounce the "ya" extra hard so he could hear me. He simply brushed off my little insult and waited for me to explain. "Well, I found these things and I don't know what they are" I pulled the two cylinders out of my pocket and he looked at them. He passed his fingers over the words and stood there silently.  
  
"Come back later, ya?" I nodded and thanked him. Of course using his "ya" a few times. "Do you know what it is?" I asked puzzled. "No, but I think I've seen it before, ya? Maybe in the caves of Besaid..." he said as he trailed off. Hmm, only one "ya", something must be wrong. I watched him walk towards the gates, kiss Lulu on the cheek and run up the hill. I knew exactly where he was going. I found the Caves while I was on my adventure with Yuna and Paine. There was a little entrance near the peer I jump off of to get to my hill. We traveled there a long time ago looking for Wakka. He said he was there to find a sphere. It's along story, but it's how we found the cave. I knew that's where he was going. But what were those cylinders used for? And where have I seen them before?  
  
Wakka moved steadily along the rocky path. He was looking for the entrance to the secret Caves of Besaid. He stumbled over the many rocks in his path, but found the rusty old door none the less. There where four symbols above his head and he muttered to himself, "What are those numbers again? 1,4,5,9, ya?" he stepped onto the keypads with the corresponding numbers and waited. An automatic mechanical click was heard and the rusty door lifted itself, revealing a hidden passage. He entered the cave slowly, as if not wanting anyone to hear him and sat by the entrance.  
  
"I know I've seen this, this thing, somewhere. It's so weird, it's on the tip of my tongue, ya? And Rikku, how did she find these? Two of them one after another buried deep under piles of things. Only she could find junk lying on the side of the road". He stopped thinking and rubbed his chin. He couldn't help but feel stupid, and he didn't know why. He placed the two objects beside each other so that the two inscriptions touched. "They look like half of a letter" he told himself. And he was right, the first object was like half of a D and the second object was the other half. "Okay, so there must be many many pieces of junk like this that form words." He said as he came to his conclusion. "But what exactly do they mean. And where do they come from. So strange, ya?"  
  
Back on the beach, Yuna stood in the water and looked out at the horizon. "What a wonderful day! I wish everyone was here to enjoy it. I do miss my friends from the journey, mostly Auron. He was a great man and a wonderful guardian. He saved me many times. And there is also Kimari, who is now at Mt. Gagazet as head Ronso. And there is of course you. Where are you?" she said with a sigh. "I wonder if you'll ever come back" she whispered. "No use complaining about the past, it happened and it's now over". She jumped out of the water and made her way back to the village. She hoped along humming one of her songs until she hit something. Or at least she though she did. She looked all around herself for the reason she had stopped. She found, under a pile of grass, a little maroon colored cylinder with strange engravings on it. She passed her fingers over the strange letter. "I've seen this thing before. Wasn't it on Rikku's old ship? Maybe I should go and tell her!" she said with determination.  
  
I sat inside Lulu's tent and waited for Wakka to come back. He would find the answer soon enough, that I knew, but I was so excited to find out what those things are. I decided to go and see him for myself. I jumped right off my seat and walked out of the tent. "Rikku! Riiiiiikku!! Come over here for a sec!" I heard someone yell in the distance. I turned my head to see Yuna running towards me form the gates. "What's going on?" I asked her. She stood perfectly still with both hands behind her back and waited. "Guess which hand" she told me. I sighed loudly and told her I didn't want to play this game. "Alright, look!" she pulled out another cylinder such as the two I had found. "You found some too!" I said with a shrill of excitement. This is great! I have two people who can help me find out what these things mean! "Isn't this a piece from your ship?" she asked puzzled. I studied the object long and hard and memorized every little detail. I did have to admit it looked familiar. "Don't you remember those blue things you had in the engine room had spelled out some words in Al Bhed?" she asked once again. That's it! She's right! These cylinders are decoders!  
  
I hugged her tightly and thanked her for her help. Of course, these are decoders! How stupid am I not to figure it out? Each ship has its own set of SOS decoders which are used when the ship is having problems. Each ship has a different colour and different inscriptions on their decoders. If ever the ship was taken over, or had mechanical difficulties and landed somewhere, a set of these cylinders was dropped onto the nearest location of the ship before it landed. No wonder I couldn't place my finger over it, it was different from my very own decoders. On my father's ship they where black with silver engraftments saying Cid's Al Bhed Vessel. On the Gullwings ship they where pink with red writing saying GULLWINGS YRP (Yuna, Rikku and Paine). This cylinder was maroon with half an S on it. But what could these cylinders mean? And who left them here?  
  
"I might want to go get the other ones" I told Yuna. She looked at me surprised and asked "What other ones?" I quickly explained that I found cylinders too and that Wakka was trying to figure out what they mean. "Go get him!" Yuna told me excited, "we may just find out what these objects say!" she said. She pushed me towards the gates and I began to run towards the Caves of Besaid. It took me little less than a minute to get there. Once I saw the bronze rusty doors, I slowed myself and caught my breath. I have never run so fast in my entire life! I pounded on the door and waited for dear Wakka to open them. "What do you want? I'm trying to think, ya! Go away" he yelled from inside the doors. I could hardly hear him, but I could make out the words. "Wakka, its Rikku, ya! Open the door! I know what the things mean!" I yelled. I hoped he could hear me better than I could hear him. I heard him get up from the other side and press the buttons to the right of the door. The door slid open and I was standing face to face with Wakka.  
  
His bushy orange hair touched the top of the door, and his hands where on both side of the entrance. "Can I help you?" he asked with a shred of anger in his voice. I hesitated to talk to him. Although Wakka was my friend, he did sometimes scare me. He's a very strong person, and he looks menacing too. "So sorry to bug you but me and Yuna figured it out! It's so simple" I said all excited. He didn't share my sympathy and merely frowned. "What's your point?" he asked. This wasn't like Wakka. What's wrong with him today? He's having some major mood swings... "So what are they then?" he asked impatiently. "Oh, they are decoders from someone's ship" I said. My voice was shaking, and I truly hoped he did not hear it. I was really scared at this point. But why? I shouldn't be afraid of my friend, although it looks as if he could punch me at any second...  
  
Wakka looked down at me. I was looking at my shoes. Hey I have gum on my heel! "Rikku, can I see your cylinder?" he asked, more sincerely. I guess he figured it out. "Sure" I said returning to my usual perky self. I pulled out the decoder and handed it to him. He looked at it and went "hmm" a few times. "This word seems familiar too" he said. He showed me the other cylinders. D and S... hmm... that does seem familiar. "What do you think it could mean?" I asked. "Well, there is of course someone's name..." he said. I look at him carefully and studied his expression. He seemed almost sad. "Wakka, who is it?" I asked. "Oh never mind. Just my weird ideas, ya?" "Ya..." I added. "Now go to the village and eat, or swim or whatever, ya?" he told me. "Ya" I replied. Wakka seemed afraid to give me back the decoder; it's as if he was hiding something from, like he was protecting me from something. I skipped right out and made my way to the ledge. Maybe I could go to my hill today. I was sort of... delayed, last time. I jumped into the water and swam quickly to the other side. "I don't want the fish to eat me" I said. I'm being perfectly serious too, these water are filled with big fishies! I reached the other side and looked back at the lake. I remember when I first came here with Yuna and Paine. It was really cold, and the lake was frozen, but that didn't stop us from jumping in! It was great! Ah, I miss those days.  
  
I turned to my right and saw my step ladder I used to get under the waterfall. I jumped up and noticed yet another maroon decoder. "These things are everywhere! This is crazy!' I yelled aloud, as if talking to the ship that dropped these here. This symbol was half of an I. "Maybe I'll get lucky and find some more!" I yelled all happy. The hill is a perfect spot to look around for more decoders! Wow, I feel so smart!!! I climbed hurriedly up the steps carved into the rock by yours truly, and I was up above Besaid in five minutes. I pulled myself up on the hill carefully, it's a very small hill, and the slightest movement could cause me to fall. I sat on the top of the little mound and looked around. Besaid was a very beautiful place. Although in the dream I had, there where less trees and the village was much much bigger. Oh well, dreams do that to people right? Or maybe, maybe that happened later on. Maybe this was like a vision of what will happen? "Don't get your hopes up Rikku, ya?" I told myself as I tried to imitate Wakka's voice. He's gone.  
  
I looked around the whole island for some sign of another ship. But I wasn't lucky enough to see one. Ships these days are smaller than they used to be. Maybe this ship is so small I need my telescope to see it. "Worth a try" I told myself. From my back pocket I pulled out a little black box. I opened the seal gently and picked up the silver object inside. I stretched it out and looked into the lens. I was excited and hoped to spot the ship, but then I though to myself if the decoders were sent as a distress signal, wouldn't the ship have crashed somewhere? That solution was the most likely at the time, but I looked around none the less. If there was a crash, there would be signs of it, like broken or burned trees, or smoke or the ship itself, right? I began to look for those signs. I found nothing.  
  
It began to get dark outside, and I decided to leave. I didn't like getting down this waterfall when it was pitch black. I climbed down slowly and made my way to the ground. The water splashed onto me and got me all wet. It was strange in some ways, the water was never this cold. "It's probably from the weather, it is pretty windy out here" I reassured myself. I imagined some big catastrophe above me that would cause freezing water. My mind drifted as I finally hit the ground. I climbed onto the bridge and shook myself dry. "May as well change into something else" I told myself. I grabbed my garment grid from my pocket (the size of the grid was reduced by my genius friend Shinra). "What should I dress in?" I asked as I looked at my grid. I decided the best idea would be to turn into my White Mage, which I modified a tad. I pressed the button beside the outfit and suddenly blues sparkles covered my body. When I opened my eyes again (I'm afraid the sparkles will blind me) I was in my Mage uniform.  
  
This wasn't the one I wore on my trip with Yuna and Paine, this was the one Rikku made when Rikku got bored one day! It was still the basic white thing. Except it wasn't one big thick robe anymore. I cut off the bottom and made myself a skirt that comes higher than the knees. Then I made myself a white bikini top, similar to the yellow and orange one I usually wear. And to cover myself, I made a white robe that tie on my chest by two braided piece of white string.  
  
"Rikku, you're back!" Paine said. I turned to her and smiled "Yup, back from a day of adventuring" I replied. She smiled at me and sat beside me at the dinner table. I was starving since I hadn't eaten all day. Yuna smiled and passed me some mashed potatoes, I think. I scooped it onto my plate none the less. At this point it was pitch black. I decided to tell Paine of my discovery and she seemed very happy for me to have found something to do in my spare time. "At least you don't have to help Lu change diapers" she told me. Lulu looked over and pouted. "I though you liked changing his diapers" she said in a mocking voice. Lulu excused herself moments after to put her son to sleep and Wakka silently followed. He was acting very strangely, ever since I found those decoders. Lulu even noticed, and she hadn't failed to bring that point up during dinner a few times. Paine and I both agreed it was getting late and we should head off to bed. My room was right next to hers, so we headed up the temple road to our newly built homes (behind the temple) facing the sea.  
  
I decided I had a new mission before me, a new journey to finish. I need to find out who sent these decoders and why. Why was Wakka acting so strangely, what did he have to hide?  
  
[Author's Note] This chapter was a little boring (I'm sorry) I just really wanted to point out these things before the plot goes on (the little decoders will come in handy, I promise). Chapter 3 and four are being revised at this moment (yes right NOW)!


	3. Friendships Renewed

Friendship renewed  
  
A/N: Finally had the time to rewrite the chapter. I feel as if I'm rushing things do I'm going to take it slow. Sorry if it's too boring!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own/create Final Fantasy X-X2, full copyrights go to Squaresoft.  
  
That night I dreamed again. I never dreamed before, but for the past month, my nights have been full of adventures in Slumber land. Last night I dreamt that we where on yet another quest. But this time, Paine and Auron where with us.  
  
_I saw Paine in the distance waving to me. She seemed so happy and full of joy. 'Hey Rikku! Come over here!' I quickly began to make my way towards her and noticed I was running above the Calm Lands. I stopped for a moment and examined myself and my surroundings. I was in my former outfit (from my Pilgrimage days) and my hair was pulled back as it was in that time. As for where I was, I was floating above the Calm Lands, trying to catch up to Paine. My orange feathers blew across my face as I waited to see what my friend had to show me. She pulled out of nowhere a black box. 'Open it, it's for you'. I did what she said and saw that the little box was full of many big things. From the pile, I saw decoders. The same decoders I had found on Besaid, only this time I had a full set.  
  
'You can't read them just yet! Silly!' Paine said in a childish voice. It was so unlike her. 'Please please Paine! I really want to see'. Seeing the sad look I gave her, she pitied me. 'Alright'. She opened the box once more..._ and I woke up.  
  
[Narrator] Rikku slowly pushed herself out of bed and looked out her bedroom window. It was dawn, already. She yawned softly and put on her clothes. "Why not try something different today?" she said aloud as her voice echoed in the darkness. She ran over to a golden chest hidden behind her bed and pulled out a suit. "Ah, my old pilgrimage clothes!" she said. She put them on and ran outside.  
  
The morning was chilly and the air was fresh. Beneath her, she could hear the waves crashing slowly into the cliff she stood on. "Rikku?" she heard a voice call from behind. _"That voice, it's so familiar"._ She gasped and let out a small cry once she saw who was calling to her. "Auron?" she asked in a soft whisper. The man approached her and smiled. "Rikku, how nice to see you again" he said. Her eyes opened as she realized this man before her was really Auron!  
  
"How... did... you get here?" she asked. The Farplane doesn't let it's dead return to earth, does it? He gave a small laugh. "Oh Rikku, it's been some time hasn't it?" She nodded her head, with the same look of terror plastered upon her face. "The Farplane let me come to visit you. You seem a little stressed out". She relaxed a little knowing the dead weren't running free. "So... how is it? Is it scary?" she asked. "The Farplane? It's a pretty place Rikku. It isn't what people say it is. I saw your mother there. She told me to say hi." Rikku shook a little. "She did? Why won't she come see me herself?" she asked, a little angered. "The thing is, the faith have let me go about the way I want to since I helped them wake up." Rikku leaned closer to him, and he drew back. It was as if she was going to kiss him, and he didn't want that. She leaned in as close as she could and swiped her hand across Auron's face. It slid right through. "So you're just a spirit then?" "Unfortunately". "Auron, why come and see me?" she asked in a gentle voice. "I never got to tell you good bye. Rikku, I was worried for you, very much so after Wakka had discovered your secret". "That doesn't explain much" she said crossing her arms. He smiled and continued, "I was afraid you would get hurt. I had never made a promise to Cid like I did to Braska and Jecht, but I pretended I did. I kept a special eye on you" he said.  
  
Rikku smiled. "Really? Auron I though you hated me!" she said a little bewildered by his comment. Auron pulled his left arm out of his coat and waved it into the air. "Do you remember that dream you had?" he asked. Rikku's eyes opened wide. _"I hope it isn't my little Tidus dream"._ She shook her head to avoid suspicion. "I know you know which one I'm talking about. It was during the Summoner's Cry". She was afraid to talk, if Auron knew, then he knew she loved Tidus! "How did you see that?" she asked horrified. She ran to Auron and tried to slap him, remembering too late that he couldn't feel it. "I wanted to tell you something in your dream, so I was allowed to enter your dream. You somehow pushed out of your dream, so I was not able to tell you. I didn't see anything except for me telling you to get back to the village and you leaving with Tidus". Rikku sighed loudly. "Silly man! Dreams are a private thing! What did you want to tell me?" she asked, concentrating hard on what Auron could possibly want to tell her.  
  
Auron looked around, trying to avoid her gaze. "Hey Auron! Tell me!" she pleaded. "It sure is different from last time. I hardly recognize this place, and I hardly recognized you Rikku. Thank goodness for you're Al Bhed costume!" "Auron, think I can ask you something?" she looked at her feet. He nodded. "Auron... is he- is he there?" Auron turned to the Al Bhed, who was now shaking, afraid of his answer. "He? As in Tidus? No he is not." She wanted to jump for joy, but decided not to since Auron didn't know about her little obsession. "Now, back to what you were going to tell me?" Rikku asked in a pleading voice. "Of course. I want you to be careful, don't let your emotions change the way you think. Think with your head, not your heart." This piece of advice confused Rikku. "What?" she cooed. "Just keep that in mind. It will come in handy some day". She nodded slowly.

Auron turned his head to see Rikku's face. She was looking at the horizon. "Rikku, you've really grown, I'd like to say". "Why thank you, Sir Auron! You look just the same". He laughed loudly. "You sound just like Yuna! I haven't seen her in a while" Rikku looked at him once more with her confused face. "Am I the only one you've seen?" she asked, a little excited. She felt so special! "Yes, I have nothing to say to anyone else" he explained to her. He lifted his gloved hand and brushed his hair, much like Wakka did when he was embarrassed. "Why didn't you ever talk to anyone? You seemed so dark and dreary" "Yes, I regret that now. It would have been fun to prance and dance around with the rest of you. But it's over now. Rikku, the Farplane is calling me back. Make sure not to tell anyone of my visit, I'm going to try to talk to them soon. And remember my advice. You'll need it soon." The man standing in front of her turned into a lone pyrefly. It flew around Rikku's head a few times. She playfully tried to catch it, and it quickly flew high into the air. She placed her hand above her eyes, covering them from the rising sun and laughed. "Auron, I knew you liked me!"

[A/N] No i don't mean Auron LOVES rikku with all this heart, he just doesnt hate her...Sigh sorry for another uneventful chapter, just a little foreshadowing! I really wanted to bring Auron back into this story, and so I did! I'm going to try really hard to post up chapter 4 soon, but exam time is coming, so we'll see how that works out..! Oh yea... to answer a few question this will end as a Tikku fic, so don't worry. R/R PLEASE!! 


	4. Midnight Meeting

Midnight Meeting  
  
[A/N] Okay! This is where my little story actually starts to make sense! Hehe, I know the past three chapters were random, but it will all lead to this moment! So here we go!!  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't OWN FFX-FFX/2, I wish I did though!  
  
[Paine's Thoughts] I woke up in the morning feeling sleepy and wanting to rest some more. Last night's dinner was quite strange, with Wakka acting all weird and Rikku acting happier than usual. But whatever, their choice to feel the way they do, right? After changing and eating a Guodapple (imported from Guodosalam), I ran outside to see Rikku gazing up at the sky. I could also make out what seemed to be a pyrefly. "Rikku, what was that?" I asked as I walked over to where my Al Bhed friend was standing. She turned around violently, I supposed she though she was alone. "No, just a bird" she said with a small chuckle. I looked at her and gave her a doubtful look, but she just smiled and walked away saying 'Got to go exploring'.  
  
That Rikku, she is so strange. You can't tell what she'll do from one hour to the other. But it's that that makes everyone like her so much, she's a genuinely good person. After my meeting with Miss Rikku, I decided to pay Wakka a visit, since I knew he was always up early so he can be there when Junior (his son) woke up. I waked to his leather door quietly, poking my head through the fabric to make sure he was awake. He turned and waved without making a sound. I motioned for him to come outside, and he did this with silence.  
  
Wakka grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the tent, a safe distance away so we could talk normally and not wake the baby. "You're up early, ya? Anything wrong?" he asked, keeping his voice low. I looked at him with an ironic smile, "I was going to ask you the same thing." He looked at me, a little confused. "Nothing is wrong" "Oh come on Wakka! I know you better than anyone else; I can tell when you're sad." He brushed his hair with one hand and sighed. "I don't want Rikku to know..." I was confused by what he had said. "Know what?" I asked persuasively. He shook his head and ran back into his home as baby cries could be heard.  
  
That was the first and last time me and Wakka talked about his attitude. Over the next few days, Rikku ran around like mad looking for more of those decoders; she woke up at sun rise and came back when it was pitch black. I asked her a few times where she was and what was going on, but she shrugged her shoulders and said 'Nothing' in the most innocent voice that I felt like strangling her when she said it. Wakka was no better either. He was sulking around Besaid and mumbling to himself, he was in constant confusion and didn't pay attention to what he was doing. Lulu often told me she was worried about her Wakka because his behavior was so different. I decided I would end this triangle of deceiving. I managed to wake up earlier than Rikku and Wakka one morning, so I ran to Besaid Beach in search of decoders.  
  
I had to admit, Rikku and Wakka made it easier than it really is. Looking around for these little red things is really tiresome. I'm sure that if I found one, I'd be just as happy as Rikku. I dug many holes around the beach, and by 9 in the morning, I had myself a beach full of holes. I had no luck finding any spheres, until later that day. I stayed at the beach until around 11, when I decided to take a late breakfast. I ran to the entrance to the Caves and took my shortcut through the woods. As I was walking, I noticed a small object in my path and picked it up. I got all excited when I found a decoder with half a T on it. "Rikku found her two by the pier, and Yuna by the beach, they must all lead to this entrance! If I could just find some more..." I thought in my head. Rikku caught up to me when I headed back to the village in the afternoon and asked where I was. I tried as hard as I possibly could to imitate her 'Nothing'. I think she got the hint and laid off. The next few days were the same; I woke up and searched for some more decoders. I got lucky and found the other half of the T and D, but that was it.  
  
Around two weeks after I had found my last decoder, I noticed a change in Rikku's attitude. She was always so grumpy and would drag her feet as she walked around. I once got so mad that I pulled her off to the side. "Rikku! What is going on with you!" I yelled. She looked at me with her green eyes, that now showed fear. "I don't know! Paine I don't know!" she said. This was the weirdest thing that she has ever told me. "Does this have anything to do with the decoders?" I asked with a calming voice. "It's Wakka. He is keeping something from me, and I don't know what. He hasn't been talking to me and whenever I do anything he blames it on me. Paine what can I do?" I looked towards the temple and shook my head. "Just don't mind him" I reassured her. From then on, Rikku began to act like herself again, and I have to admit it was great to have her back. Wakka on the other hand was still the sulky boy he had been for this past month.  
  
All of this changed in a matter of seconds. I decided to wake up an hour later than I usually do, and rose to see that the village was fully awake. I ran out of my house and caught up with Yuna. "What's going on?" I asked her. She turned to me and waved. "Morning! Wakka said he has some big news!" she said excited. "Wakka! Oh I knew he would do something stupid" I told myself. I instantly saw Wakka rise on the platform used for summonings, and the crowd immediately went silent. "I've finally done it. I've come to a conclusion about the strange decoders that appeared on the island about a month ago. They are nothing but a trick. I've discovered a few ships that have been pulling pranks on islands with decoders for a laugh." I quickly turned to see Rikku behind me, and she was definitely _not_ happy.  
  
In a matter of moments she was up there beside him and began yelling to everyone. "Wakka doesn't know what he is saying! He's been hiding the truth this whole time from us and won't tell anyone what he knows! No one can get a new set of decoders until the previous ones are found, so your theory is wrong! He's just a big meanie!" Rikku then ran back off the stand and towards the waterfalls. "Back to the Hill she goes, I suppose" I heard Lulu say from behind me. "Let her cool off for a moment" I nodded my head and took a seat at the breakfast table and waited for my friend to return. When I saw that the sun was beginning to set, I worried Rikku wouldn't come back. I grabbed Wakka claiming 'It's your fault she ran off so you get to come with me and look'. He didn't say no, so I dragged him towards the Hill. We ran two steps at a time, and I was beginning to think of what could have held Rikku back. We both called out her name, but she didn't answer. We were about to turn back when Wakka saw a big flash of light coming from the beach. We both ran as fast as we could and saw Rikku standing at the water's edge, mouth wide open.  
  
I turned to Wakka, who couldn't believe what he was seeing. The look on his face was enough for me to understand that what was happening was a shocker. "This is the ship. It's the same color as the decoders!" he added silently, although I could barely hear him from the distance. Rikku ran and hid herself behind me, afraid of who was in the ever approaching ship; I supposed she didn't know what Wakka was talking about. When it had finally landed, Rikku gave a slight cry, and grabbed my arm. Wakka gathered enough courage to go see who was there. The hatch to the ship opened into the ocean, and time seamed to slow down for that one moment. I saw a silhouette of a man come from the hatch and jump into the ocean, and Wakka began to run towards him.  
  
Rikku, who was now fully hidden behind me, whispered into my ear "What now?" To tell you the truth, I didn't know. "We just wait, ok?" I could feel her head bob up and down, and then she turned her gaze to the man in the water. "Wakka!" the man yelled as loud as he could. There was something in his voice that made Rikku act up. It was manly, but yet it had a little squeak to it. It was pitch black, and I couldn't even see my hands in front of me, but I could see Rikku, I could see the tears in the corners of her eyes begin to form, I could see the distress in her face, and I wished I couldn't see her. I could see the dark blue sky filled with stars and the wide moon letting it's beams fall into the water and shine on whatever was in it. I saw Wakka punch the man in the arm and hug him tightly, to which after, he turned his gaze to me and Rikku. He began to wave frantically "Ri- ikku? Is that you?" he called out. I turned to her confused, and I knew this was it; this was what Wakka was hiding from her. I knew that from now on, everything would go wrong. And the thing is, these bad feelings of mine usually come true.  
  
_"No, it can't be. You're not here... you can't be here. You can't break my heart again."  
_  
[A/N] Did you notice Paine's last lines where similar to the one's Tidus said in FFX? "These bad feelings of mine usually come true" or something like that... Anyways, I've got the feeling that Rikku is a little too OOC (out of character), but I'm going to try to fix it in the next few chapters. R/R PLEASE! 


	5. Waterfalls

Waterfalls [Tikku]

[A/N]Eeeeeep! I got some reviews yay thanks so much for your nice comments, it really helps motivate me to write some more! So here we go again!

[Disclaimer] I didn't own FFX then, and i don't now

[Rikku's thoughts]

My eyes were wide open, and all I could see was the man before me. I shut my eyes tight and opened them again, just to make sure what I saw was real. I could see him tilt his head to the side and call out my name once more, a little confused on why I didn't answer. _Come on Rikku, do something! _ I yelled to myself. I did just that. Before I knew it, I was running through the water to him. I jumped and wrapped my arms around him in a hug. "Tidus! You're back!" I quickly pulled away and added, "you big meanie! You just left me alone!" He smiled and laughed playfully. "It's so great to see you!"

Tidus, Wakka, Paine and I all headed back to the village. I could see Wakka and Paine far ahead of us, but Tidus was walking slower, so I stayed behind with him. "So, how are you?" I asked him, seeing the obvious pain in his leg. "I'm good" he said trying to look tough, but I knew he was hurt. _"It's ok… we all get hurt"_ I added silently. I turned to him and saw he was gazing into nothingness, too deep in though to pay attention to me.

I had been staring for a long time until he finally snapped out of his daze and turned to me. "What?" was his answer to my stare. I was now looking in his deep blue eyes, the same ones I looked through in Macalania, and Bevelle, and… Zanarkand. It was him; I had no doubts that this was Tidus. "It's just great to see you!" I added after a long period of awkward silence. "We had better hurry, Yuna will be-" he placed his finger on my lip to stop me from talking. My mentioning Yuna had made him loose all his joy, something was up in his mind. "I think it might rain, and we won't make it to the village in time. Since we'll get wet anyways, why not go to the waterfalls?" he asked, hoping I would say yes. I nodded my head and answered "Sure, haven't had a swim in a while". That was the most high pitch voice I had ever used.

He led me through the tall flowers to the peer and quickly jumped in. I heard his body fall into the water. "Come on Rikku" he said, urging me to come in. I nodded my head twice and just as quickly was in the water. We began to swim when the first bolt of lightning came from the sky. I shivered at the thought, but swam anyways, seeing the waterfalls in front of me. "Ah, this is nice!" I said, trying to push the though of the thunder behind me. "Wanna get out. 'Cause there's…" I shook my head and splashed him. I didn't want to get out because I knew he didn't want to. "Hey!" he yelled as he also threw water at me. At the third bolt of lighting, he decided he want to get out. I pulled him back in and said that it was fine, I didn't mind. "Are you sure?" he asked me. "Positive" I replied as I gave him the thumbs up.

A few minutes later, the rain fell heavily onto us. I could barely see him, since it was still dark. It wasn't as dark as on the beach, I noticed, since the moon light echoed through the crystal walls. I began to shiver and I became scared, "Tidus, I can't see you. Please help me!" I yelled. I felt him grab my hand and help me into the opening of the cave behind the waterfalls.

[Narrator]

Tidus managed to pull Rikku up out of the water and sighed. "Wow, you're heavy!" he said teasingly. She hit him playfully and added, "You're not so light yourself". He slowly made his way to the back wall and sat down with a thump. Rikku turned her gaze to see the rain fall in the pool of water. She stood up perfectly straight with her hands behind her back. "Why don't you want to go back?" Rikku asked silently, still not facing him.

Tidus scratched him head. "I-I don't… know" he answered. Rikku could tell he was just as confused as she was. She was just happy he chose to stay here with her. "Yuna would be happy to see you, I'm sure" she said, not directing it to anyone in particular._ Is it just me, or does it sounds like she's crying?_ Tidus wondered. She gave a quiet sob, hoping he wouldn't hear her. "What's-" he began to say but was automatically stopped by Rikku, who had now raised a hand. "Don't" she answered, expecting him to know what she meant. He nodded his head, although she couldn't see it, and returned to his thoughts about how he was going to answer her question.

Thinking of Yuna made Tidus shiver. He loved her, he really did, but it wasn't _that_ kind of love. He never knew what kind of love he had for Yuna, but it was different now. _Maybe she's different now. Yeah, that would make things a lot better. _ "Think people change in two years?" he asked silently. When Rikku gave no answer, he presumed she didn't hear. _Better off if she doesn't answer._ Rikku sighed. "Everyone changes, Tidus. They have to when big things happen to them-" she said, still not facing him. "They have to change to live their lives and be happy". This time she turned her head to him. "Ya know?" she asked, making sure he got it.

Rikku's insides were burning. "People change, you should know that. Are you trying to hint at something?" she wondered as she looked down on Tidus. His head was hung down and he seemed to be examining a rock. The wind howled outside, making the rain dance with it. The crystal droplets began to make their way to the cave's entrance. "We're going to be here for a while, I guess" she said. He nodded and tried to reach for her hand. She walked over and grabbed his, which pulled her down beside him. "So, what are we gonna do now?" she asked, returning to her usually perky self. There was definitely some room for happiness.

The two brainstormed a few ideas, but nothing seemed interesting enough. "I got it, I'll help you get over your fear of thunder! We'll go outside and look at the thunder, and you'll get over it" Tidus answered. Rikku jumped up and hugged him. She was always so afraid of the thunder, but never had enough courage to face it. But Tidus made her stronger, with him, she could do anything.

Tidus had raised himself up and made his way over to the entrance. "Let's do this!" he said with such determination that Rikku believed she could fly for that one moment. He placed his gloved hand outside to catch the rain drops, and shivered when they hit his hand. "It's really cold Rikku, you'll get sick if you go" he said, very concerned. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "Okay, mom!" she said with a squeak. "But you got me all excited for nothing!" she said, a little saddened. She gave him big puppy dog eyes, pleading him to come outside into the rain with her. "If you want to go so bad, just do it!" he told her. "Fine!" she added.

Rikku pushed Tidus out of the way and walked into the shallow water, rain drops falling on her perfectly tanned body. She began to dance in the rain, singing 'To Zanarkand'. She extended her arms up, trying to grab hold of one of the sapphire diamonds that fell from the sky. Her perfectly braided hair was undone, revealing blonde locks that flew in circle as the Al Bhed spun around. Her skirt (she was wearing a short green skirt, almost matching her shorts), mimicking her hair, flew in perfect harmony to the rhythm of her song. For that one moment, time froze; the rain didn't seem to hit the water anymore, the song birds in their baths stopped singing, and his heart stopped. She continued her dance, while more and more water fell onto her, causing her clothes to hang loose off of her. Tidus wished he could hold this moment forever. He never noticed the way her hair looked identical to his, or the way her eyes shone in the light of the moon, or how her laughter made his heart melt. He placed his hand on his mouth, covering the sound of his gasp. "Oh my god" he said to himself, "I think I lover her".

Rikku had stopped dancing and looked at Tidus, whose mouth dropped. "Tidus?" she asked, now returning into the cave, water dripping off of her. He just continued to stare at her, but he managed to close his mouth. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and repeated his name. He snapped out of his daze and apologized to her for staring. "I just realized something. And I really have to tell you, and Yuna too" he added. Rikku flinched at the sound of Yuna's name. She loved her cousin, with all her heart, but she wished Tidus could focus on 'Rikku' a little more.

The two stayed up late, waiting for the rain to stop. It was dark outside and the thunder and rain seemed to never end. "I guess we stay here tonight" Rikku said, trying to hide the excitement she had. _"A whole night with Tidus, we can talk and everything!"_ she told herself. They talked a lot about their pilgrimage together, and brought up all the old memories. Rikku was smiling the whole time, she was really smiling. It made Tidus feel good to know he brought that smile upon Rikku's face. "Why didn't I see it before?" he muttered to himself. "Hey! What was that! You can't call me names!" Rikku said, pretending to have heard what he said.

Tidus realized that Rikku's eyelids were beginning to close, and she was still wet. "Tired?" he asked sweetly. She nodded her head and waited for a response. He took off his yellow shirt and gave it to her. "Wear this to keep you warm. You can sleep beside me if you want, it'll keep you warmer…" his voice quivered at the end, he was hoping for a yes. But little did he know, she felt the same way. She grabbed the shirt and placed it on her shoulders, and afterwards crept up beside him. She placed her head on his chest cautiously; making sure it was alright for her to be doing this. She wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes.

A silent whisper was heard from the half asleep girl, lying on his chest. "I love you…" echoed through the walls of the cave and served as a lullaby to him, as he slowly shut his eyes and repeated "I love you too…"

A/N Okay, to Zanarkand if the theme song and I know you can't sing it, so Rikku was just humming it. Yay! It's done! I'm really quite happy with this chapter, I was having total writer's block! I made Rikku a little more herself, so yeah! I think I'll make one more chapter instead of two, it'll go a little faster. R/R, reviews make me happy .


	6. Truth

Truth [Tikku]  
  
[A/N] Well well, chapter 6 is here!! I'm going to have a lot more time to write now, since exams are over. Oh and just to reassure everyone, the "decoders" thing will be explained in this chapter! I know it's a little confusing, but... yeah... Thanks for all the reviews!!  
  
[Narrator]  
  
Rikku awoke the next morning, still in the caves, and leaned over to wake Tidus up. Her arm touched the cold floor beside her, but not Tidus. "Huh?" she yelled as she stretched out her arms. "Where are you Tidus?" she asked, a little louder. The wind blew through the caves' opening as she slowly rose from where she sat. It blew her hair onto her face, which made her continuously replace it behind her ear. "He's probably so excited to see Yunie that he left already" she though, a little saddened by the idea that he would leave her. Her thoughts were soon stopped by the sound of water slashing around.  
  
Rikku took a step into the shallow water and smiled to see Tidus swimming. His hair was soaking wet, as were his clothes but he was smiling. "Look what I found!" he yelled as he held up yet another decoder. Rikku's eyes must have jumped right out of their sockets, since Tidus quickly asked what was wrong.  
  
Slowly, she got the courage to swim closer to Tidus to look at the decoder in his hand and she quickly noticed he was beaming. She stood up and pressed her hand on her hip, "Why are you so happy?" she demanded. "I found my own decoders" he said with amazing power. "Own..." she echoed. Why would Tidus drop the decoders here?  
  
Rikku stood silently looking at the little cylinder in Tidus' gloved hand. "Care to explain why this is yours?" she managed to say, through clenched teeth. "Well, alright... but it's a pretty long story I wanted to tell everyone else. But since you're Rikku, my best friend, I might as well". She slowly made her way to the cave entrance and sat there, with one foot in the water and the other bent, where her head now rested. The feathers in her hair fell to the floor as she gave a thumbs up. Tidus caught his breath and began.  
  
_"Well, it all started when I awoke in water, I just sat there, submerged in liquid for days on end until I had the courage to head to the surface. It was all so surreal for me... hadn't I sacrificed myself the nights before? I found myself thinking about the night on the ship and of Yuna"_ Rikku winced at the sound of her name. "Why always about her?" she thought as she pouted. _"I said something to her I don't quite think I meant... she was the only one that heard, but it didn't feel right. Then I thought about you, Rikku. You just stood there with tears in your eyes, trying to hold back the surge of emotions you felt. I was holding back my tears too, Rikku. It was hard leaving everyone. I remember the last thing I saw was you running towards the ledge of the platform and waving and then all I saw was Wakka's hair in the distance.  
_  
_"I began to see land, and began my swimming journey to the town of Luca. I got lucky, a fisherman told me he would bring me to Besaid in his new fishing ship, since he wanted to try it long distance anyways. In a few days, we hovered over Besaid. I wasn't sure if you guys were there, and the man told me not to get out and check, since the Yevonites had a terrible feud with the Machina Ship owners (which means the man who owned the ship I was in). I figured if the group had gone there, the famous Al Bhed girl Rikku would be there too, so I dropped the decoders.  
_  
_"The decoders said 'Tidus wants to visit, meet at beach?' I know perfectly well that the decoders are used to signal an Island of a ship's presence, so I flew over Besaid everyday and expected to see you at the beach, like I asked. You didn't show up for a really long time, so I was about to give up when we tried at night. I could have sworn the beautiful girl in the bathing suit was you, so I asked him to drop me off. That and the fact that Wakka's hair was noticeable from 5 miles out. Then we landed, and you where there. I was so relieved that it was in fact you. That is my story".  
_  
Rikku eyes narrowed when the said she was 'beautiful'. He was probably just being nice, she told herself, but part of her believed he meant it. She felt her cheeks turn bright red, and quickly placed her two hands on them.  
  
"Maybe we should go and see Yunie now?" Rikku asked quietly. Tidus lowered a brow. "Why does she keep insisting I see Yuna?" he asked himself, slightly irritated. He didn't want to go back, he had no reason to. "Would she come with me?" he asked himself, thinking Rikku would run away with him. He slapped himself at the though, he didn't want to ruin Rikku's perfect life her on Besaid just because he wanted to be with her... he finally realized to what extent he did love her.  
  
"Run away with me" he said quickly, mentally kicking himself. Rikku stood up, her eyes wide open. A big smile was spread across her face, although she tried so hard to hide it. The sun made her eyes shine, and he pretended to see sparks in her eyes. She was at loss of words, what could she say? "But... Yunie... loves" she managed to stutter. "No, she doesn't. Come" Rikku didn't know what hit her at that very moment, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "Let's go" she said, more excited than ever.  
  
[A/N] Sorry for the stupidity ;; this was just a 'reflection' chapter. I decided to make two more after this one... so for all you wonderful people that reviewed... here it is :D 


	7. Finding Yuna

Finding Yuna [Tikku]  
  
[A/N] Chapter 7 came a little faster! Thank you soo much for the reviews, they make me happy hint hint Thanks to fireball20 for the idea of explaining Rikku's emotions, I guess it is a little confusing... I'll try to fix that, promise! Here we go again!  
  
[Rikku's thoughts]  
  
What am I doing? I said I would run away with him, I said I would leave everything behind, and I said I would break Yuna's heart... who am I? I don't recognize myself, since when do I hurt other people's feelings just so I could be happy? I looked up to see Tidus' reaction. He was surprised, but I could see a small smile at the corners of his lips forming. "So he _wants_ me to come?" I asked myself... maybe there is hope for me after all.  
  
What is it about him that makes me feel all weak inside? Since the first time I saw him, in Baaj Temple, I knew we'd be close friends. I guess I could 'read' him, we were so _alike_. Then Sin came and took him away from me, I felt torn inside, I felt lost. For the next few days I couldn't work... my mind would continuously go back to him. I would sleep and wake up to see his eyes.  
  
Then we met again, on the Moonflow. My heart skipped a beat when I first saw him again... I'm not sure why I felt that way, we were just _friends_, right? The way he talked to me, the way he stood up for me, it seemed like we _were more_ than just friends... and I believed it... I knew I loved him. He was the first non Al Bhed boy to ever consider talking to me, I suppose that's why I liked him so much from the beginning. Then I began to get to know him, and found out he was an amazing guy... and I needed him there with me.  
  
When he asked me run away with him, I felt the way I did when I met him on the Moonflow... I knew I needed to go to be able to be happy... but somehow, I knew it wasn't the right thing to do. I wasn't _thinking...  
_  
[Narrator]  
  
The two swam right out of the cave and headed off to the beach. "How exactly do we get off the Isle?" Rikku asked with a hint of regret in her voice. "Maybe we shouldn't go?" he asked himself. Good question, the surge of emotions he was feeling made him say stupid things. She just made him so _happy_. He got an idea that might keep him here longer. "How about we sneak in at night and find Auron, just to say hi, and then we leave?" Rikku looked up at him, small beads were beginning to form at her eyes. "We... we can't..."  
  
Confusion spread across his face. Was Auron not here? He though if everyone else was, he would be too... "He's... Far...plane" Rikku managed to say. A tear fell onto her face, leaving a wet streak upon her cheek. Without thinking, he brushed off the tear and took her into his arms. "Farplane, huh?" he whispered into her ear. She slowly nodded. Not knowing how to comfort Rikku, he just held her there. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. His first reaction was to stroke her head, and he did.  
  
Thinking of Auron made Rikku really sad... he was gone... forever. "Wait, Rikku you idiot!" she yelled to herself. "He came back to visit... to tell me to think with my head..." she told herself. He knew Tidus was coming, he knew Rikku would overreact, he knew she would not think with her head. "I can't come with you" she said as she pulled away from his warm embrace. He didn't seem too shocked at the comment. "I... I know... I just hopped..." slowly, they began to walk towards Besaid Gates.  
  
Lulu stood there, with a look of sheer anger spread across her face. She didn't manage to see Tidus, only Rikku stood in front of her. "Rikku! Where in the name of Yevon where you? We waited all night for you and-"she got cut off by the sudden appearance of Tidus. "Heya Lulu, you're looking great" he said with one hand behind his head. Lulu looked like she was going to faint. "Tidus?" she managed to say. He smiled and ran right up beside her, giving her a big hug. "You... you're... back!" she said, smiling. He nodded his head and looked around. "Where is everyone?" he asked.  
  
In a matter of seconds, Wakka and Paine both appeared. "Hey Brudda, you finally made it to the village, ya?" he asked. "Where were you?" he asked, pulling Tidus aside. He shrugged and ran back to meet Paine. "Hello, I've heard a lot about you" she said smiling. He brushed his hair with his gloved hand and laughed. "Yeah, I am great aren't I?" he asked jokingly. "Course!" Rikku piped up, beginning to laugh.  
  
Tidus studied Lulu up and down. "You look different somehow" he replied. She smiled as Wakka came holding Junior. Tidus' eyes opened wide. "You two?" he asked quizzically. Rikku giggled. "Hopefully he looks like Lulu. Pity if he has the burden of looking like Wakka" Rikku said, bursting with laughter. Everyone joined until Wakka understood. "Hey, ya!" he said. Lulu took his face and kissed his cheek. "I still love him" she added.  
  
The night was filled with laughter and story telling, until finally he noticed something was missing. Someone was missing...  
  
[Rikku] I hadn't even noticed Yuna didn't come down to dinner. "Where did she go?" I asked Paine after the meal. She gave a small sigh and said she had no idea, Yuna wasn't in the house, and she hadn't been around all day. I had to find her, she shouldn't miss this. He's back for her! It all of a sudden struck me hard. _He's here for her_. It was never for me.  
  
"Rikku? You 'kay?" Tidus asked. I looked him right in the face and gave a small "Yup". "Yuna's missing though" I added, trying to change the subject. He gasped. "Yeah, I know! I just found out" I repeated. He looked deep in thought, it was as if he was having an inner debate. "I guess we should find her" he said. I nodded and asked who would help.  
  
It was at that very second Wakka decided to show up. "Guys! Heard the news yet?" he said breathlessly. I supposed he ran from the beach all the way here. I shook my head. "No, what happened" . I had a strange feeling this was about Yuna. "Yuna, she's gone. She's been drafted to Bevelle, and has to live there for a year to become an official citizen again. Apparently it's mandatory for her to do this as a High Summoner, ya? I think it's rubbish" Wakka added.  
  
I looked around at everyone and stopped as I saw two blue eyes looking into my own. He looked so confused and sad yet relieved somehow. "What now?" he asked. I looked at him carefully, and for once in my life I took Auron's advice. _Think with your head, not your heart_. My head says go. "Well then ladies, we're going to Bevelle"  
  
[A/N] Sorry for the HUGE delay, I've been so lazy!!! This chappy was a little strange and boring, but thank you for reading :D I've started the next chapter, I promise it'll be up soon. THANK YOU FOR R/R-ing! You all deserve cookies! 


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